Influences
by Wilma69
Summary: A Goa’uld device on an alien planet transports Jack and Daniel into a mothership


TITLE: Influences  
AUTHOR: Wilma  
EMAIL: .nl or on list  
CATEGORY: Gen, Adventure, H/C, Angst.

RATING: PG-13  
SPOILERS: Just a bit for Need.  
SEASON: Third Season.  
CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence, mild torture, angst. (Whumping of both Jack and Daniel.)  
SYNOPSIS: A Goa'uld device on an alien planet transports Jack and Daniel.  
STATUS: Finished.

ARCHIVE: Alpha Gata, Heliopolis,

DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. Not to be archived without permission of the author.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks to Carrie who beta-read this story and my thanks to Jude for her beta as well. This was my first posted story to the SGHC list more than 3 years ago and has been rewritten. All mistakes still here are totally my own fault of course. I dedicate this fic to Jo, who is as sweet and innocent as me, to thank her for her views on whumping. smile

* * *

Influences, By Wilma

"Welcome back to P3T-890." Colonel Jack O'Neill looked at his teammates as he stepped away from the DHD.

Major Samantha Carter and Teal'c had returned to the SGC for a supply run. Water was scarce on P3T-890, the climate extremely warm and humid. Jack had initially been pleased to see the lack of trees dotting the landscape, but had quickly come to the realization that he preferred trees to sweltering heat with no shade.

Apparently the climate wasn't suitable to life forms, either. Well, that wasn't necessarily true. The UAV readings indicated life forms quite some distance from the gate, and Carter seemed to think they were humanoid in nature. The UAV had also shown a pyramid ship, and they weren't entirely sure it was abandoned. It wasn't something they could ignore.

Evidence of a Goa'uld presence, coupled with humans inhabiting the planet, had given Jack good reason to guard the gate while his team members made their journey. He'd been miserable the entire time they'd been gone.

Daniel was in his own version of heaven though, Jack had to admit. Some mysterious device he'd unearthed and Goa'uld writings had sent the archaeologist into fits of near ecstasy. His young friend had begged to be allowed some leeway in the translations, and Jack had caved. Daniel had happily gone off into the nearby tunnels to take rubbings and work on figuring out what the device's purpose was.

Jack was turning into quite the softie when it came to Daniel. Common sense told him not to let Daniel go off by himself, but Jack couldn't withstand the effect the archaeologist's puppy dog eyes had on him. Carter had said there weren't any Goa'uld present, not nearby anyway, so Jack had been able to justify leaving Daniel to his toys.

"It is good to be back, O'Neill," Teal'c said as he scanned the immediate area.

Carter was also looking around. "Everything all right, sir?"

"Just great, Carter." He wiped the sweat from his brow. "Just a little too warm for my taste."

He picked up some water bottles and a book. "Daniel's book?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. You and Teal'c stay in camp and hold down the fort," Jack directed, waving the book at the major. He bit his lip pensively and continued, "I'll be back in about half an hour. Daniel should be finished by then."

"Are you certain, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. They all knew Daniel far too well. When the young archaeologist found something of interest, time always got away from him. Still, even Daniel knew that they couldn't stay long this time.

"I'm sure, Teal'c," Jack sighed. "I'll be back in a while, kids."

* * *

"Hi there, Dannyboy."

Daniel looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. He smiled at Jack, who was hunching over in the small, narrow tunnel behind him. Seeing the opportunity to take a break, Daniel stretched his arms out and sat back.

He'd been crouched in the cramped space for a couple of hours, translating the text on the strange device. He had no doubt it was a Goa'uld invention, though they had never encountered anything like it before. Daniel had to admit he didn't yet have a clue what the round device could be used for, but it certainly didn't *look* like a dangerous weapon.

"Hi, Jack. Where're Sam and Teal'c?"

"Guarding the gate." Jack tried to stare over the archaeologist's shoulder. "Found out anything interesting yet?"

"Not really, no." He kneeled and touched some symbols on the device. "I don't think it's a weapon, though. These words here tell something about transport."

Jack smiled at him. "There are life forms on this planet, Daniel."

"Yeah, I know." Daniel nodded, absentmindedly turning a protruding handle.

"So, we shouldn't stay long." As usual, Jack sounded worried about how Daniel was touching stuff he knew nothing about. The man sighed heavily. "How about a couple more minutes, and then we'll blow this joint, okay?"

Daniel thought he heard a vague sense of urgency in Jack's tone, but he didn't take the time to ask about it. He was too absorbed with his work. He was about to turn and thank his friend when a faint humming filled the tunnel.

"Daniel?" Jack called out to him, his urgency now all too apparent.

Daniel had no time to shield his eyes as a very bright light came from the device. A high-pitched wail rang through his ears. He couldn't tell if it came from the machine or from him.

Light. Stunning, brutal light, bright enough to almost knock them off their feet.

The sound was incredible, not just loud, but piercing. The only thing they could do was drop to the ground, trying to shield their eyes and ears all at the same time.

The whole tunnel seemed to glow and just as suddenly as it began, both the light and the sound were gone. It became oppressively dark again, their flashlights providing the only illumination.

"Damn it!" Jack leaped to his feet when he saw the figure lying face down on the ground nearby. Clutching Daniel's jacket, he gently turned the younger man onto his back. Daniel stirred instantly.

"Jack?" Daniel moaned, reaching for his glasses. He pulled them off and placed the palms of his hands on his eyes. "God!" He shivered convulsively, his breath coming in rough gasps. Jack could feel how tense Daniel's muscles were beneath his hands. He was obviously in intense pain.

"I'm here." O'Neill swallowed, his mouth dry. He grabbed Daniel's glasses and put them in his friend's pocket. It looked like the bright light must have caught Daniel straight in the eyes. "Let me see."

A loud groan escaped the young man's lips as Jack pulled at his hands. Wincing in sympathy, he coaxed, "You gotta let me see, Daniel."

"It hurts," Daniel moaned.

"I know buddy, but I need to take a look at you." He quickly pulled out his water bottle. "I have some cool water to sooth the pain. Come on."

Reluctantly, Daniel let go, and Jack bit back a curse. There were red stripes around Daniel's eyes, and he knew Daniel had been lucky to have been wearing glasses, or the damage would have been even worse.

Jack soaked a handkerchief with water and pressed it gently on Daniel's closed eyes. The archaeologist let out a deep sigh, and Jack suddenly realised he'd also been holding his breath.

He took Daniel's hand and let him hold on to the handkerchief. "Let's get you out of here."

"Good plan." Daniel whispered as he tried to stand up.

Jack bent down to lend a hand when a loud sound from the device interrupted them. "What the …"

He grabbed Daniel, pulling him up as the whole tunnel began to shake.

Guiding Daniel along with one hand, Jack watched as some type of electrical charge ran along the walls. It looked almost like a zat blast. As it came near them, he fervently hoped its effects weren't the same as that of a zat. He spun back around, realizing they'd never make it out of the tunnel.

Then everything went black.

* * *

Jack felt as though he were still in college and had been partying way too hard the night before. Head throbbing in time with his pulse, he muffled a disoriented groan and tried to remember where he was.

"What happened?" a faint voice sounded to his right, the only indication he wasn't alone.

He realised it was Daniel. Everything came flooding back to him, and Jack sat bolt upright, regretting the move when vertigo immediately set in. He groaned again, opening his eyes. He looked around and saw only walls. Very familiar, gold colored walls, with Goa'uld writing all over them.

"Oh, crap."

"Jack?"

Jack turned to his friend, who was on all fours patting the floor around him, probably to find the handkerchief which he'd dropped. Jack quickly picked up the item and gave it to Daniel.

Jack now knew what the device in the tunnel was all about. It was for transportation all right, right into a Goa'uld vessel. This was going to be a bad day, he just knew it.

"It's okay, Daniel." Who was he kidding? He tried to downplay their dire situation, nonchalantly telling the archaeologist, "Don't freak out, but we landed in the pyramid ship."

"We… we did?" Daniel's voice was shaky, but he didn't sound surprised. "So that thing was a…"

"Transportation thingamajig, yep," Jack interrupted him, taking Daniel's arm and gently pulling it down. "Okay, let me see your eyes again."

"They still hurt." Daniel fought his grip.

"I know, just let me take a look," he brusquely insisted, understanding that the need for injury assessment was high priority, given their strange surroundings.

Daniel removed the cloth and cautiously opened his eyes. Jack hissed under his breath at the swelling and redness. He could see Daniel wasn't focusing on anything, so he waved his hand in front of the younger man's face. There was no reaction, and Jack's stomach knotted.

"Well?" Jack asked, even knowing the answer wasn't one he wanted to hear. He hoped against hope he was wrong.

"Please tell me the lights aren't on," Daniel said, pausing as his voice took on a slightly hysterical note. "Jack?"

Jack was worried but didn't want Daniel to know. They were in a Goa'uld pyramid, miles away from the gate and any help, and Daniel was blind. This wasn't good.

Before he could give Daniel any reassurances, real or forced, the wall on his left side turned into a door, sliding open. A tall, skinny man who looked human came strolling in, followed by four other men dressed in identical yellow outfits. The first man had short grey hair and a grey tunic. The other guys however had long hair, and Jack had to stifle a laugh. They looked for all the world like hippies.

"Hi, there," Jack said casually meanwhile putting his hand on his P90.

Daniel was again holding the handkerchief against his eyes. "What's going on, Jack?"

The alien grey clad guy walked straight towards Daniel and took him by the hand before Jack could react. "I am called Andara. You came through the Chappa'ai. You are blind."

Daniel appeared shocked by the sudden grip on his hand and the voice nearby but quickly seemed to regain his composure. "Uh, well. Yes. My name is Daniel. Daniel Jackson. We're peaceful travellers."

"You were reading the transposium. You can read the Goa'uld signs," Andara continued as though Daniel hadn't even spoken. His words were clipped and harsh.

Jack tried not to stare at the man. How in the world did this alien know that they'd been in the tunnels? He really played on Jack's nerves, but there was no sign whatsoever of glowing eyes or openly hostile behavior, yet. Still, there was definitely something wrong with him. He and his pals were living in a Goa'uld stronghold, for crying out loud. Maybe they had some technology to fight against their enemies? Jack figured it would be a good idea to try to stay friends with this guy. For now.

Jack frowned slightly as Daniel kept smiling at Andara, even though he couldn't even see him, in typical Jackson fashion. Surely his friend could pick up some of the misgivings he had, even without his eyes.

"Yes, I can read the Goa'uld language," Daniel admitted.

Jack's frown deepened. Surely it wasn't a good idea to tell that to someone who could be fighting against the Goa'uld, for all they knew. They could BE Goa'uld. They could be anybody!

"Daniel," Jack said in a warning tone.

Before the younger man could react to his urgent voice, Andara smiled. "That is good." He turned to look at O'Neill. "And you?"

"Nope." Jack put on his friendly but I-don't-trust-you kind of voice. "Jack's the name. Jack O'Neill." He looked around. "Nice place you got here."

"You are not Goa'uld," the alien mused, not even acknowledging his comments. "That is good, also."

"Sure it is. How about you?"

Andara looked at him in disgust. Then he took Daniel's hand again. "Would you help us translate something, please?"

"Well." Daniel swallowed. "I'd like to, but as you can see, my eyesight isn't working quite the way I want it to at the moment."

"The transposium can do that if you don't know how to shield your eyes," Andara explained. "We can help you."

"You can?" Jack and Daniel exclaimed at the same time.

"Yes."

* * *

Andara guided them through the long corridors of the pyramid. Several people, men, women and even children, were also walking up and down the halls. It looked weird to Jack, to see women and kids inside a Goa'uld vessel.

The people stared openly at the strangers, and Jack wondered how this race had survived the Goa'uld and how they'd come to be here. Everything around them reminded him of their not so friendly encounters with the parasitic race, and it gave him the creeps. He just knew he had to stay very alert, his hands still on his P90. He didn't trust these folks, but at least they had let Daniel and him hold onto their weapons.

Andara was holding Daniel's arm, and that disturbed Jack even more. He felt like he should be the one leading his friend, but as he also wanted to stay alert to their surroundings, this was the best way to do it. So he let Andara guide Daniel, and Jack followed along. The 'hippie' guards were walking behind them. Jack tried grinning at them, but they ignored him.

Daniel stumbled a little, still holding the damp handkerchief over his eyes as they walked. They were led into a large circular chamber with a smaller round table in the middle of it. It reminded Jack of a movie he'd once seen about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. He watched as Daniel was guided into the room and towards the table. As Jack started to follow them, two of the guards stood in his path, blocking his way, and he suddenly couldn't see Daniel anymore.

"Excuse me, would you mind?" Jack took one step forward to try and get a line on his friend. His brain was setting off loud, clanging alarm bells. His hackles were well and truly raised now.

"Stay here." One of them put a hand on his shoulder, effectively stopping him.

"I don't think so." Jack blinked at the guy and did one step back, raising his P90. "I think you'd better let me pass. You see, where my friend there goes, I go, too."

"Gentlemen, please." Andara had left Daniel's side and insinuated himself between the guard and O'Neill. He frowned at the colonel, pointing at Jack's gun. "That is a weapon, yes?"

"You bet your ass it is." Jack drew himself up to his full height and did his best to look down his nose at the man. "So, you'd better let me see my friend. I won't leave his side without a fight."

"We need to heal his eyes," Andara explained, enunciating his words with exaggerated patience. Jack could tell from his attitude that he was definitely a leader and someone they all listened to. "You cannot watch the process, because we cannot trust you not to interfere."

"What?" Jack didn't understand and didn't want to understand, he just wanted to be with Daniel.

Andara sighed. "You must lower that weapon at once and remain right here, or I will not help your friend."

Jack's narrowed his eyes. "I thought you needed him to translate something." He knew he was changing the subject, and hoped the alien would fall for it.

"Leave." Andara angrily waved at him, and when he suddenly raised one hand, a ring started to glow on his finger. A Goa'uld ring.

Before Jack could make a move, the ring emitted a force field, and he was knocked back on his ass, not quite unconscious, but definitely stunned. He cursed himself for not having seen that coming.

He could hear Andara's voice as the alien bent over him, but it sounded very far away. Jack tried to focus on the words, but it did no good. He slipped into darkness.

* * *

Daniel was pushed carelessly into another room, and he could hear a door slammed shut before he even had the chance to protest. Stunned, he stood there and listened for a second.

"Jack? Are you here?" he asked the air, hoping against hope that he wasn't alone, but there was no answer. With a heavy heart, he first stuffed the handkerchief in his pocket and then lifted his arms straight out in front of him and took a hesitant step. When his fingers contacted with the wall, he trailed them along it to guide him around his new surroundings.

After a few minutes, his knees bumped against something hard and cold. Daniel traced his hands along the smooth surface. It seemed to be a low table or bench. He sank down gratefully, his legs unsteady from fear and confusion.

The utter silence of the place seemed more powerful without the use of his eyes, conspiring with the darkness to suffocate him. The only thing keeping him from outright panic was to focus on Jack. Why had they been separated? What was happening to his friend while he sat here, helpless? The thoughts weren't easing his fear, but at least the overwhelming claustrophobia seemed to lessen.

He had no idea how long he sat there, how long the worst-case scenarios played over and over in his mind. Daniel just wanted to hear anything, from anyone, about Jack's situation. As if his wishes had been broadcasted, he heard approaching footsteps. The door creaked open, and he stood up. He wildly hoped it was Jack, but it was not to be.

"You. Sit down," Andara ordered.

"Where is my friend?" Daniel demanded, his worry escalating. There was something very wrong here. They'd had no cause to hurt Jack, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking maybe they'd done just that. He flinched as he felt Andara's hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down on the bench.

"Your friend is fine. He will be waiting for you when you regain your eyesight," the man assured him.

"Oh. Okay." Daniel hesitated slightly, wondering if Andara would deliver what he implied. And could the alien really fix his eyes, or was this just a subtle means to begin torturing him? He'd feel so much better if he knew for certain Jack was all right.

"Lay down, please." A hand gently pushed Daniel down on the stone table. It was cold, and the chill penetrated his clothes. He swallowed nervously. It wasn't at all comfortable.

"I will put some fluid in your eyes now," Andara said. "There will be severe pain for a few moments, but you will be able to see again after it is absorbed by the soft tissue of the eyes."

Despite the alien's assurances, Daniel was ill at ease and incredibly edgy. The alien's tone of voice was brusque, almost callous, and his refusal to tell him more about Jack worried him.

"I do not want you to touch your eyes in the process," Andara told him in a firm voice.

Daniel nodded slowly. He jerked as Andara's cold fingers tightly grasped his wrists. Before he could ask what was happening, his hands were locked into two iron restraints at the top of the table. How had he not noticed those before? He fought the hysterical laughter that bubbled up out of him as he suddenly felt like he was starring in some old clichéd vampire movie. He made a big effort to relax, but found it nearly impossible to do so.

"All right. I will now begin the procedure," the alien said.

Daniel had just enough time to hope that Jack had put his glasses in his pocket when Daniel had thrown them off in the tunnel. He would need them later. He *would* be able to see again.

Daniel felt two fingers prying his right eye open. It was still painful, and he tried hard to cooperate and not to twist his head away from the invasion. The fluid was dropped carefully into his eyes, first the right and then the left.

He groaned. It burned like crazy. He bit his lip, trying not to cry out. He repeatedly blinked, but it didn't do much good. The pain only seemed to increase. The chains hurt his wrists as he yanked against them. All Daniel really wanted was to rub his eyes and somehow push the pain away.

He was gasping and tears of pain were streaming down his cheeks, mingling with the medication Andara had used. Daniel lectured himself sternly. He could do this. He had no choice. Finally Daniel cried out, unable to withstand the agony any longer.

Suddenly Andara dabbed at his eyes with a soft cloth. Daniel was relieved to feel it begin to take away the burning sensation. Blessed relief toyed at the edges of the agony. It seemed within reach. He slowly attempted to open his eyes, anxiously wondering if he'd be able to see something.

Before he could look around at all, Andara's fingers were again opening his eyes, releasing more fluid into both eyes. God, not again.

With a shrill scream, Daniel arched off the table as a horrible seizure ripped through him. It turned to a gurgle as he passed out. The darkness was peaceful and welcome.

"Daniel. Wake up."

The voice sounded as it were coming through a long, narrow tunnel. As Daniel slowly drifted back to awareness, he couldn't tell for sure who it was. He knew who he hoped it was. "Jack?"

"Open your eyes now."

He obeyed, and saw Andara's long, skinny face staring at him. Now he recognised the voice instantly. How long had he been out of it? Where was Jack? Not even registering the fact of his regained eyesight, Daniel could only think about how much he needed to see Jack and to make sure he was okay. He frantically looked around a large hall with a round table. "Where is Jack? What the hell have you done with him?"

"You can see me." It was a statement rather than a question.

It finally sank in that Daniel's vision had been restored. His eyes were still a bit sore, his vision blurry without his glasses, but he could see. Daniel felt a bit odd, but not really sick or anything. Relieved, he let out a deep sigh. He stood up slowly from the stone chair he'd been sitting on and fumbled through his pockets, where he found his glasses. Jack had put them there, he thought gratefully, looking out for him, as usual. Daniel slipped his glasses on his face and peered around, still a bit confused.

Andara took hold of his hand. "Our treatment worked."

"Yes, it did." Daniel was glad about that, but still needed to know about Jack.

"Now you can help us translate," Andara exclaimed with a smile.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. He didn't want to seem impolite, but he had to know if Jack were really all right. "I want to see my friend first."

"In time," Andara answered, his tone becoming even sharper than it had been all along.

With a nod, Daniel conceded to the alien's vague allowance. Maybe with more information, he'd be able to figure out why Andara seemed to want to keep him and Jack apart. "Can I ask you something then?"

"Certainly."

Daniel took a deep breath. "You're living in a Goa'uld vessel. You use their technology. Why is that, exactly?"

"That is a very long story, Daniel." Andara looked pleased at the question, which Daniel found odd.

"I would love to hear it."

Andara waved at him to sit down again. Grinning, he started walking around the circular table. "Our people were brought to this planet many millennia ago by the Goa'uld. It is a long story, but briefly, our ancestors figured out a way to use their technology against them, and they were destroyed. We have been living in this place for generations now."

"You destroyed the Goa'uld?" Daniel was amazed. These people looked simple, not like they could use powerful technology.

"Yes," Andara answered proudly. "The Goa'uld were driven from this planet."

"And they never returned?" Daniel had a very hard time believing that.

"If they ever try to return, we will destroy them again," Andara said.

"How?"

"You do not need to know that, Daniel." The slender alien took his hand again.

Daniel was getting more and more uncomfortable with that gesture. Andara was becoming a little too familiar with him for his own taste. He tried not to pull out of the grasp, worried that such an action would be interpreted as hostile. He didn't want to cause trouble before he could see Jack.

"Still, there is one thing our own translators could not figure out before the last of them died a few months ago," the alien continued.

"You had translators?"

"To translate the Goa'uld signs, yes." Dropping Daniel's hand, Andara opened the door to the corridor and waved at him to follow. "Unfortunately, the last of their kind got killed in an accident. The young are not so eager to learn about the language of our old enemies. So, we have no one to translate something we found in one of the lower levels of this vessel."

"You still find new Goa'uld writings after so many years?" Daniel asked incredulously. It was unbelievable.

"We were not allowed in the cellars beneath the vessel before," Andara explained as he opened another door on their right. "Later on, we opened them," he stated proudly. "I am in charge."

Daniel went with him into another large hall, and two men with bright yellow clothes followed them. Daniel assumed they were some sort of guards. Their uniforms were crisp, clean and starched, their faces impassive.

Daniel turned to look at the object Andara wanted him to translate. When he saw the device, his gasp echoed around the room. It was a Goa'uld sarcophagus.

He swallowed hard a couple of times, trying to deny the automatic reaction the machine still invoked. Finally, he asked, "You know what that is, Andara?"

The man cleared his throat. "Of course I do. It is a Goa'uld tomb. The legends from our ancestors say that it could restore the sick and even revive the dead."

Daniel was shocked. These people's ancestors had probably used the "tomb", back when they'd first found it long ago, until they'd discovered its dangers. That probably was why the sarcophagus had been placed in the cellar long ago and why no one had been allowed to go there. Andara must have gotten suspicious when he'd figured out why his ancestors had hidden the sarcophagus, but he still wanted to pursue its use.

"The only problem about it," he told Daniel with a smile, "is that we have not been able to open it. Our translators are gone, and we do not know how to use it." He put a heavy hand on Daniel's shoulder. "That is where you will help us. You are a translator. You can show us how to open the tomb."

"No." Daniel gulped. He wasn't going to open that damned thing. Not a chance in hell. Nothing good could come from opening it up. He shuddered as he had instantaneous flashbacks of the withdrawal pain he'd endured from Shyla's sarcophagus. Even in memory, the pain was almost tangible. He couldn't let the same thing happen to anyone else.

"I don't know how to open it," he lied as he averted his gaze from Andara's curious stare. "I do know, though, that it's a very dangerous thing to use, Andara. Your ancestors must have known that as well. They wanted you to leave it alone."

"Our history books hint at some side effects, which I am certain are not important. There was never any documentation showing that the tomb caused anyone any harm. I know you know how to open it, Daniel. If you refuse, I promise you we can find a means to persuade you," Andara hissed in a soft, whispering voice. "Perhaps we will need to use your friend. I know the machine can heal people, but it would be well to really make sure, you agree?"

Daniel's heart and mind raced as he read the implications of Andara's question. He knew precisely how the alien could test the healing capabilities of the sarcophagus, and the mention of Jack in that context worried him tremendously. He struggled to think of a way to dissuade Andara, but he came up with nothing.

He looked Andara right in the eye. "I really don't know how to open it."

"I think you do, Daniel." The alien tilted his head and stared at him, trying to determine if Daniel were lying or not.

Daniel was a lousy liar, and he knew it, and unfortunately, it looked like Andara knew it, too. An overly friendly smile brushed across the alien's lips. "I think you should not make it so hard on yourself. Why do you want to make this unpleasant?"

"You don't know how dangerous this thing can be."

"We have been dealing with Goa'uld technology with no problems. Look around you. I do not believe the tomb possesses any greater evil than that which we have already used."

"Yeah, well, you've been fortunate so far," Daniel mumbled. Frustrated, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He felt a headache blooming behind his eyes. "Trust me, you do not want to mess with the sarcophagus."

The doors of the hall slammed opened, and Jack was unceremoniously dragged in by two of Andara's guards. Daniel knew he'd failed and something bad was about to happen.

* * *

Cold. Damp. Musty. As Jack slowly regained consciousness, he knew before he even opened his eyes that he was no longer in the chamber with that Angora guy. Pain rocketed inside his skull, an unfriendly reminder of just how he'd come to be there, wherever that was.

Forcing open his sticky eyelids, he took in his surroundings. Just peachy. He was in a cold, damp and musty cell. It was square, approximately twelve by twelve. Sprawled on the floor, Jack could tell he'd been there for some time because his muscles and bad knees protested even the tiniest movement. God, his head hurt. He wondered for the thousandth time why the bad guys always insisted on knocking you out first and asking questions later.

Questions. Actually, they hadn't asked him any. Only Daniel was important, he remembered. Daniel! Jack bolted up quickly, immediately wishing he hadn't. The small, grey room seemed to spin around, and his head throbbed like a son of a bitch.

Shit. They'd taken his weapons, even the utility knife he kept hidden under his pants leg, and Daniel was nowhere to be seen. Jack was worried about him, enough so that he didn't care about his own discomfort. He knew he'd been out long enough for some really bad stuff to have happened to the archaeologist.

Rising unsteadily to his feet, Jack walked to the door of his cell and pounded on it in frustration. He shouted as loudly as he could, "HEY! I need to see the warden! That Angora guy! NOW!"

Silence. Not even a shuffling of feet. Maybe they'd left him there alone. Jack kicked the door once, but it was solid, and it hurt his foot, so he moved to the back of the cell and slid down onto the floor to wait. They couldn't keep him locked up in there forever, could they? They wouldn't do that, would they?

Time had little meaning for him as he sat and stared at the door, willing it to open, and for Daniel to be thrown in with him. Jack snorted. How twisted was that, when being confined in a cell with Daniel was the lesser of two evils? He didn't allow his mind to contemplate what could be happening to his friend.

Finally, after what felt like an hour or two, he heard something outside. At last. Jack rose to his feet in anticipation. The door was flung open, but there was no sign of Daniel, only a couple of those yellow-clad guards. They rushed him, grabbing his arms painfully, and hustled him out of the cell.

He was roughly dragged down several long corridors and into a large room. Thrown to his knees, Jack grimaced and swore as ripples of pain shot straight to his hips. But what mattered was Daniel, standing right in front of him with eyes focused and seeing. He looked fine. Thank God.

"Jack!" Daniel said. He moved to help Jack up, but the guard standing next to him took hold of his arm and stopped him. "Hey! Ouch!"

"Hey, Daniel," Jack said with relief. He slowly stood up on his own. He was mad as hell and really wanted to punch somebody in the face, preferably that bastard Angora or whatever his name was. The SOB was standing right next to Daniel. Too close to Daniel, he amended.

Jack looked into his friend's troubled blue eyes. He swallowed down his anger, knowing he needed to stay calm, for both of their sakes. "Are you okay? You can see okay now?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Andara sighed loudly. "I like reunions. They really are touching." He looked at one of the guards and waved a hand at Jack. "Shoot him!" he ordered.

"NO!" Daniel surged forward, but the guard grabbed both his arms, pulling them behind his back. "You can't do that! Damn you, let me go!" He struggled to get free, but it was no use.

"Then open the tomb," Andara ordered him.

Jack stared at Daniel, all too aware of what was about to go down. His concern was not so much for himself but for the archaeologist, who'd be forced to witness him getting shot and possibly even killed. That sort of thing could do some serious emotional damage, and he didn't want that for his friend. Jack saw red, and he made a lunge for Andara. The guards were on top of him instantly, forcing him back to his knees and holding him down.

"Damn it." He looked up at Daniel and saw the younger man close his eyes in resignation. Jack tried to get through to him. "No, Daniel. Don't," he pleaded. "Don't do it."

Daniel ignored him. "Let him go. You don't need to hurt anybody. I'll open the sarcophagus for you," Daniel whispered.

Andara smiled. "Good." He waved at his guards to release Daniel.

Once released, Daniel walked around to the sarcophagus and pushed the small handle that was situated under the edge of the cover at one end. He stepped back as the top plates slid slowly open, like a butterfly unfolding its wings.

Jack shook his head at the defeat in Daniel's pose, knowing that the younger man understood the consequences of his actions. He wanted to go to his friend's side, but huge hands still held him in place.

Andara walked over beside Daniel and asked, "So, what do I do now?"

"That's it." Daniel swallowed, slowly making his way over to Jack.

"That simple," Andara whispered. "Very good." He pulled out a weapon that looked like a zat, only smaller. "I do still want a demonstration, however." Without another word, he pointed it at Jack and pulled the trigger.

Jack heard Daniel's startled cry as he saw a pulse of light heading straight for his chest. The guards abruptly released him, but it was too late for him to dodge. Searing heat encompassed his entire upper body, but he felt no pain for the first few seconds. Then there was a burst of white-hot agony, focused directly above his heart. It burned, feeling as though he were being struck with pellets of acid. He moaned and sagged to the floor, unable to control the spasms wracking his body.

He had enough presence of mind to look down at himself, to see if he could locate the damage, and saw what looked like a third degree burn on his chest. It wasn't as big as it should be, considering the pain it caused. Jack could feel himself slipping into shock, the convulsions turning to shivers. He gasped in agony, the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears.

But he could still hear Daniel, who was treating the alien guy to a full Jackson-style rant. "Why in the hell did you do that? I told you I'd help you!"

Daniel was suddenly kneeling at Jack's side. "JACK!"

"Dan…iel," he moaned through clenched teeth. He knew he had to be dying. He could only think to give Daniel some kind of comfort, but he wasn't able to say anything else.

"Jack?" Daniel whispered now, hands fluttering over his chest.

Jack looked up into distressed blue eyes brightened with tears.

"Oh, God, Jack, I'm so sorry."

A dark mist edged Jack's vision, and he knew he had very little time left. Daniel held his head up off the floor, their foreheads almost touching.

Jack was comforted by his head being cradled and cushioned in Daniel's lap. He tried not to struggle, knowing it would only hurt Daniel more.

"S'okay, Danny. Sarcophagus, remember?" he whispered. "D-don't worry."

His head jostled, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut as tightly as he could, and he heard Daniel harshly cry out, "God damn it, how could you do this? I did what you asked! What kind of a monster are you?"

Jack managed a small smile at Daniel's righteous indignation. Some things would never change, including the younger man's belief in the basic good in people.

Jack had stopped shivering, and he couldn't hear anything except his own slowing heartbeat.

Then there was nothing.

* * *

"Jack. Jack."

Someone was calling him. He blinked a couple of times and looked up into Daniel's eyes staring at him in concern. Jack felt good. Really good. Suddenly realizing exactly why he felt so good, he bolted straight up.

"Oh, man."

"Easy." Daniel was holding his arm. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he murmured in disgust. "Help me get out of this thing." He let Daniel give him his hand to assist him. He stood up and stepped away from the sarcophagus.

Jack hated this piece of Goa'uld technology, and he knew Daniel despised it even more. He wanted to tear Angora's arms from his body for what he'd just put both of them through. Swinging his head around, Jack wasn't surprised to see a very smug looking grin on the alien's face. It looked very Goa'uldish.

"It worked." Andara waved at the guards and at them. "It is amazing. It is unbelievable."

"You can say that again," Jack grumbled. He took a couple of steps towards the alien, menace in his voice. "Wanna use it, too? Better yet, how about I shoot you and NOT let you use it?"

"It's dangerous, Andara," Daniel was pleading next to him, still holding onto Jack's arm. "You can't use it all the time. It makes you…Uh…"

"It changes you. It makes you crazy," Jack interrupted, knowing their statements weren't being acknowledged by the alien. He knew the type.

Jack studied him. Already, the alien was filled with arrogant confidence. He'd use the sarcophagus to rule his people, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. They were outmanned. He whispered, "Daniel, he's not going to listen to us. Look at him."

"Jack." Daniel looked like he knew something that Jack didn't. It always made Jack feel a little foolish. "They'll probably use it on their women and children as well." Daniel whispered without Andara hearing him. Of course, that was the reason Danny wanted to stop them from using the sarcophagus again. Children, right.

Andara wasn't trying to hear them. He seemed too impressed by this miracle that wasn't a miracle at all. He was staring at the sarcophagus like it was holding all the secrets of the universe. He had all this power now. He was the greatest leader they'd ever had. Jack could practically hear these thoughts rolling around the alien's head. He knew Daniel was right. They should stop this guy from using the sarcophagus, but at the moment, he was more concerned with getting both of them out of there. They could go back to the SGC and get reinforcements.

"Wanna let us go home now?" Jack said, pulling Andara back to reality.

"You are of no use to us anymore," Andara said dismissively. He peered at them with a dangerous look in his eye. "Though you are now too dangerous to me. The knowledge you have shared with me might convince my people to keep this marvellous device locked up forever. I cannot have that! The Pit is waiting for you."

"The what?" Jack frowned. That didn't sound good at all. The Pit actually sounded pretty bad.

Daniel tried to pull away from the guards grabbing them as he turned towards Andara. "Please. Whatever you do with us, you can't put your people in the sarcophagus. It's dangerous… Please!"

But the slight man just turned away from them as they were led out of the room.

The guards manhandled them through corridors that all started to resemble each other no matter how hard Jack tried to track their progress. Arms aching from the tight grasp, he was almost relieved when a large door slid open, and they were suddenly outside the ship.

Looking at Daniel, he saw the younger man struggling in between two of the yellow guards. He looked about as tired and worn out as Jack was feeling.

Jack just hoped that this Pit would be nearby now. He also hoped that he would get a chance to escape and rip that Angora's heart out.

* * *

"Let go of my feet!" Daniel winced as the guards took off his boots and socks and pulled up his arms.

Bad day, definitely a bad day. But he was still alive, as was Jack. He looked at the older man sitting next to him, still too pale from his recent death and resurrection. He shuddered at the memory he knew would plague his nightmares for a long while – that is, if they survived for him to *have* nightmares.

Daniel looked down into the Pit. It seemed pretty standard, as far as pits went. Just a hole in the ground with no bottom whatsoever. Very dark and very small and very deep. Just as well he had no problems with darkness or claustrophobia. Usually. Recent experiences with both made him doubt that assertion and, okay, so the whole bottomless thing didn't really sit well with him either.

He clued in to what he and Jack were about to experience when the guards grabbed his hands and started winding coarse rope around his wrists. He also had problems with hanging in a hole only by his wrists. The guards were rougher than they needed to be as they bound his hands together.

"Take it easy, will ya?" Jack protested next to him.

Daniel was filled with a wave of gratitude once again. No matter what was about to happen, knowing the other man was right beside him helped. Jack had almost been killed for good that day, and Daniel wasn't ashamed to admit it would have killed *him* to lose his friend.

The guards finished binding Daniel, yanking brutally at his arms. With a feral grin, one hulk of a man wrapped meaty fingers into the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground and swinging him over the edge of the hole. Oh, God. Daniel closed his eyes, hoping that would make it less horrifying.

Nope. A wave of nausea blew through him, but he did his best to choke it down. He heard Jack shouting his name, but he couldn't look. He had to stay calm. He could do this, he could do this. He seemed to be thinking that a lot lately.

Apparently, his lack of reaction bothered the guard. He was pulled back from over the edge, and he opened his eyes to see them position Jack instead.

"Let the old one down first," one of the guards said.

Stubborn to the end, Jack muttered, "Watch out who you're callin' old."

Daniel held his breath as he watched Jack disappear. He hoped this wasn't some sort of sick game; that they'd let go of the ropes as soon as his friend was out of sight. They lowered Jack about six or eight feet, then secured the rope to a large metal bar to the side of the Pit. Then it was his turn.

Daniel tried to relax as they slowly lowered him down the hole. The stone wall cut into his back as they dropped him down next to Jack. His hands felt like they were being pulled off as the rope cut into his wrists and his arms were agonizingly stretched. It was only a matter of time before breathing was going to become difficult and his shoulders pulled out of their sockets. He let out a groan as the guards tied his rope, the action jerking him.

"Daniel?"

"Jack?" he whispered, unsure if he was or wasn't glad for the inky darkness surrounding him.

"We can do this, Danny."

He knew Jack was trying to help, but he didn't know what to say. As far as he could tell, their situation was pretty hopeless. After a few seconds, Jack's voice echoed through the deep hole again.

"We are so gonna get out of here."

"Sure, Jack." Daniel couldn't help but smile. He was relieved that Jack couldn't see him in the dark. He didn't want him to see his smile or his pain or anything else for that matter.

"Teal'c and Sam will be here soon," Jack forged on.

Daniel couldn't let Jack go on trying to convince him. It wouldn't do either of them any good. "No, they won't."

"What?" Jack snapped.

"They don't even know where we are." Talking was hard, and this conversation was draining all the air from his lungs. It was happening too soon. He'd…they'd…wouldn't last long down here. "This is a big planet."

"So? They can guess we're at this pyramid building. They'll figure it out, Daniel."

"It hurts, " Daniel simply said. He knew Jack wouldn't give up; it wasn't in his nature. He just didn't know if he could be that strong.

"I know it does," Jack murmured. He could hear Daniel's dejection. He struggled with it himself, disturbed at how quickly his hands lost all feeling. He was NOT going to allow them to die in this hole, but he knew they didn't have much time.

Inspiration struck, and he began to roll from side to side, grunting as the rope dug even further into his wrists. Warm wetness flowed down his arms. Blood.

"Wh…what are you doing?" Daniel asked.

"Getting us out of here, I hope," Jack explained, forcing himself to ignore the pain and keep rocking. "Shit, this hurts!"

Beside him, Daniel started following suit. Jack felt a spark of fondness for his friend. Seconds ago, he was sure the younger man had given up, but the way Daniel was wriggling told him hope had been renewed. Together, they rocked and for long seconds only their groans of pain filled the cavern.

Jack started slowing down, his back throbbing from the abuse of rubbing against the stone wall. Sweat tricked down his forehead, blood down his arms. He could tell Daniel was having a difficult time, too, the younger man's harsh breathing filling his ears. He just needed to rest. Stopping to lay limply against the wall, Jack jerked when Daniel's voice called out.

He shook his head, but began rolling again. Next to him, he heard Daniel's rhythm falter all of a sudden, then a loud thud. He froze.

"Daniel," Jack gasped. "You did it?"

"Gimme a second, Jack."

"Can you grab the rope?" Jack anxiously called, really concerned at how ragged Daniel's breathing was sounding. He was proud of the younger man, and wished he could allow them a respite, but time was precious. When Daniel didn't answer, he sighed and started rocking again.

"Keep your strength up, Jack. I've got a feeling we'll need it later."

Jack protested, "Daniel…"

"No, Jack. I mean it! Don't…move… Just breathe."

Daniel's pained groans ripped into him, but he suddenly found himself unable to move. Getting killed did that to a person, he supposed. Jack closed his eyes and prayed his friend wouldn't inflict damage on himself just to get him out of there.

Daniel's muffled curses accompanied Jack's grunts of pain as Jack was spurred back into action. He understood why Daniel wanted him to rest, but that didn't mean he was actually *going* to rest. Not while his civilian specialist saved their asses. That was his job.

Daniel grabbed the rope cutting into his wrists and tried to pull himself up. Trying to get a purchase on the rock wall with bare feet and just using his legs was harder than it should have been. The rock face was slippery, and his feet couldn't get a good hold. His legs swayed under him. He had to get a grip with his feet or all he'd accomplish would be to dislocate his shoulders all that much sooner. Now he knew why the guards had removed their boots and socks before lowering them down, and he bitterly cursed them, their mothers and all their progeny.

"Ah, SHIT!" he hissed as he fell back.

"Let me try this, Daniel," Jack insisted.

"For crying out…" Daniel planted his feet firmly against the wall, resolve growing again. "Just shut up, Jack!"

With a low cry he "walked" several steps up the wall and grabbed the rope a few feet higher. His hands, still numb, were almost losing their grip, but he was determined. Only one more big push, and he'd be able to climb out, but he couldn't do it. His hands slipped a notch, and without thinking, he yelled down, "Do something, Jack."

"Do something? Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know." Daniel's voice was coming in short gasps. "Call me names, tell me I can't do this, tell me you could do it better. Anything!"

"Oh." Jack swung back into action, his body thumping along the wall. "Okay, let me think."

"Don't think, Jack! Just say something!"

"Well, Daniel, I'm not the brilliant scholar that you are, y'know. I need time."

"Not…good…enough," Daniel gasped, slipping another notch. He was starting to get angry now.

Jack winced. "Well, maybe this will help. You oughta know I hold you completely responsible for getting us into this goddamned mess." There was no sign of humor in O'Neill's voice. "You had to go and touch that Goold thingie in the first place."

Daniel closed his eyes, concentrating on Jack's words. He needed to get them out of here. It WAS his fault. Damn it, why did he always do things like that? He knew it drove Jack crazy.

Daniel struggled mightily as he listened to Jack continue, "I've told you and told you and told you to never fuckin' touch stuff you don't know anything about. You really ARE gonna get us killed one of these days."

Fuelled by the recrimination, Daniel gasped and using every last ounce of his strength, he pulled himself up again, his feet walking up the rock face. Then he just sort of popped out of the hole, up into the reddish dark evening sky. Shivering and breathing hard, he quickly looked around. There was no one standing guard, so perhaps their luck had changed for the better.

O'Neill's snarky voice was yelling from below. "Hey! Get me out the hell outta here! Sometime today, Daniel."

Daniel chuckled. So much for gratitude. He braced his weary muscles, and hoped Jack would be able to help him a little. He really didn't think he'd be able to pull the man out all by himself.

A minute later, Jack had emerged from the hole as well and stood panting next to him, his face illuminated by the setting sun. He looked into Daniel's weary face, and they exchanged a relieved smile. Jack raised his hands. "D'ya think we could get these off now?"

"I'm sure we can." Daniel looked around cautiously, still expecting guards to appear. Others must have been placed in the Pit and had made escape attempts. "But let's make ourselves scarce quickly."

"Well, that's a good plan." It sounded a little sarcastic, but it was Jack saying it and it was indeed a good sign. O'Neill was getting his wits back in a hurry. It would be dark soon, and they really needed to get away from that pyramid ship.

Daniel searched around the Pit for a couple of minutes to see if their socks or boots were anywhere nearby. He finally concluded that the guards must have taken them. Damn. He let out a sigh. "No boots."

"We'll manage." Jack sounded confident, "This way." He winked at him, and they stumbled as quickly as possible into the dense forest line nearby.

In the cover of the dense brush under the trees, they fumbled at the ropes on their wrists for a while until Jack finally got one hand free by pulling hard. With a wince, he pulled out his other hand. Quickly, he helped Daniel get free of his bonds too. Their wrists looked like raw hamburger in places.

They needed to get back to the gate and off this godforsaken planet, preferably without running into Andara or his evil henchmen. Daniel involuntarily shuddered at the thought of the alien, though he still wished there was some way for them to destroy the sarcophagus. Remembering how far it was back to the stargate, he sighed, and suddenly had an idea.

"Jack."

"What?" Jack turned to glance at him.

"There's a better way to get back to the gate."

"Huh? What d'ya mean?"

Daniel sighed and sat down on the damp ground. "The transposium."

"But I thought that thing only existed in the tunnel."

"No, Jack." Daniel massaged his tender bare feet and sore wrists while explaining. "There's one in that first room we got transported to. It's a two way connection."

"How do you know? I thought you couldn't see anything when we got in there."

"But I know it's there. Don't you see? It has to be." Daniel knew he had that part right, since he remembered it from the translation he'd been doing when he'd gotten them into all this trouble. He also had another thought concerning the sarcophagus. He could try to destroy the thing on their way out. Of course, Jack didn't need to know that part of his idea. Not yet, anyway.

Shit. Jack knew for a fact that Daniel was thinking they'd be able to destroy the sarcophagus before transposing their butts back to the stargate. He SO didn't want to go back into the ship, but he saw the younger man's point. It would get them out of there sooner.

"Oh, just peachy." He sank to his knees as they came within sight of the pyramid's doorway. "So what do you suggest? Walking straight in or knocking at the front door?"

"Jack!" Daniel scolded him. He ducked his head and checked their surroundings.

"Had to ask."

They were startled by a noise nearby, and they quickly dropped belly down onto the soft ground, alert to any danger. Crap, someone had heard them. Jack didn't think he had the energy to successfully evade capture. A quick look at Daniel confirmed that he couldn't either.

Then an even softer voice made Jack almost jump up again. "Colonel?" Thank God, it was Carter's voice.

"Over here," Daniel called out without thinking.

Jack whapped him on the arm with a scowl before calling out himself, "Carter? Teal'c?"

"O'Neill." The tall Jaffa's head popped out of the bushes next to them, and Jack let out a sigh. His team was complete again. Suddenly this very bad day was turning out quite a lot better. At least it would be a good day in the end.

"Are you and Daniel okay, sir?" Carter grabbed her spare pistol and gave it to him. Teal'c gave his to Daniel.

Jack waved at them to sit down. "Been better, major. But we've also been a lot worse. How did you find us?"

"You vanished from the tunnels, sir, so we thought about those life forms here on P3T-890. We guessed they might have caught you and taken you to their home, the pyramid ship." Carter looked at Jack's wrists and frowned. "You need some antiseptic on those wounds, sir."

"We have a way to return to the tunnel, Sam. They have a device called a transposium, and it can teleport us back into the tunnels, just the way it teleported Jack and me into the pyramid." Daniel sounded exhausted but relieved. As he spoke, his arm flopped in the direction of the pyramid.

Jack made a grimace. "We only have to get back into the pyramid without Angora or his guards seeing us. Sounds easy, huh?"

"Angora, sir?"

Daniel leaned around Jack to give Sam the information she needed. "Andara, Sam. His name is Andara."

At his team's knowing smiles, Jack murmured, "Well, whatever you call him, he's one of the bad guys. Very not nice."

"We can always attempt to hike back to the stargate, O'Neill. We could go back the way Major Carter and I just came." Jack caught Teal'c glancing at his and Daniel's bare feet and knew the Jaffa had already determined they wouldn't be walking that great a distance.

Jack agreed with Teal'c's unspoken concern. He and Daniel weren't walking any farther than they had to. "Lets try the pyramid, kids."

He stood up, leaning on Teal'c. "Maybe the thing has a back door."

"There are cellars, Jack." Daniel smiled at him. "Maybe the cellars have an entrance." He turned towards Teal'c. "Do you know of any Goa'uld strongholds with cellars under them?"

"Yes, I do, DanielJackson." Teal'c answered to their surprise, "An escape tunnel normally leads in and out to use in emergencies."

"That's great, Teal'c." Jack really didn't want to lead them all back onto that damned ship, but there was no other way, if they wanted to get home quickly. At least he liked their odds better, now they were together. "Let's go find that tunnel."

"This way, O'Neill." Teal'c was whispering, and they could only see the gleam of his eyes in the dark.

* * *

Jack and Daniel were trying to walk the forest floor without hurting their bare feet. It wasn't working. They were both suffering, wincing and trying to muffle their complaints.

"Found anything, Teal'c?" Jack asked.

"Here is the entrance, just as I believed it to be." Teal'c pulled away some shrubbery to reveal a small, narrow opening. "This doorway has not been used for a very long time."

Daniel was at his side in a second. "I don't even think they know it's here, Teal'c."

Sam shined her flashlight on a small area of open grid work. "Can you open that?"

Teal'c took hold of the bars and pulled with all his strength. It gave way suddenly, and he fell back onto the ground with a low, "Oof!"

He lay on his back and looked with surprise at the grid in his hands. Jack couldn't help but grin at the sight. Holding out his hand, he pulled the Jaffa up. "You okay?"

"Yes, O'Neill, I am extremely well."

"Good." Jack bent over and stared down the small hole leading into the ground. "This is a bad idea," he said with a shake of his head.

"This hole will lead us into a tunnel," Teal'c said with a confident voice. "Follow me." He lowered himself into the dark space. "There is a kind of ladder here, leading down."

"Oh, that's just great," Daniel said sarcastically. He made a face and stared at his feet. "This'll be fun."

Ignoring Daniel's doubts for the moment, Jack looked at Sam. "You take our six, Carter."

"Yes, sir."

Lowering themselves down was about as much fun as Daniel thought it was going to be. He followed Teal'c, feeling sick to his stomach as he traced the rungs of the ladder down in the claustrophobic dark. Every step seemed to tear more flesh from his abused feet. The dust level was very high, and he found himself constantly trying to suppress a sneeze.

Near the bottom of the ladder, Daniel stopped to rest his feet for a second. Jack was following him down while Sam brought up the rear.

Because Daniel had stopped, Jack almost stepped on his hands. "Jack, watch out."

"Sorry," Jack said in a muffled voice. "What'd you stop for? Are you okay?"

Before Daniel could say a word, an explosive sneeze answered the question, and Daniel almost fell backwards into Teal'c. He just barely hung on to the rungs and was glad to feel Teal'c's hands steadying him in the dark.

"Everything all right, DanielJackson?"

"Yes, yes." He took a firm position on the ladder again and followed Teal'c downl "Can we hurry it up, though?"

Finally they arrived in a large tunnel. Jack offered his hand to Sam and helped her out of the hole. She took up her flashlight again, illuminating the tunnel with its bright beam. Teal'c had raised his staff weapon just in case it was needed. They didn't know if they were close to the cellars or who might be around.

"This way." Teal'c confidently led them through the tunnel. Sam stayed on their six, with Jack and Daniel in the middle.

Jack held his pistol tightly in his hand as they advanced. Every sense he had was on full alert. And his sixth sense, well honed from countless battles, was signalling that something was about to go wrong.

At the end of the tunnel, they found themselves in a large cellar. The walls were golden, and they held large open cabinets on which were stored all kinds of Goa'uld devices, all of which were labelled with large signs, written in Goa'uld. Daniel looked around in astonishment. He was fascinated, thoughts of a quick getaway forgotten for the moment. All he could think about was what they could learn if only he could stay and study some of the technology. Both he and Sam could stay busy there for months.

"Daniel. No way!"

* * *

Jack's no nonsense voice yanked him out of his reverie. Of course Jack was right. They had to find the transposium room and leave this place. Daniel was also still determined to destroy the sarcophagus if possible. He sighed and smiled at the colonel, who was looking at him sternly. "I know, Jack."

Teal'c peered around the corner of a door leading towards a broad set of stairs. He nodded at them and again took lead with his staff weapon at the ready.

Fortunately, they found nobody on the stairs or in the corridor at the top of them. They were finally in the ship.

"Now we only have to find that transposter thingie room." Jack looked around. "Jeez, that should be no problem at all with all these hallways and rooms."

"And the sarcophagus, Jack." Daniel said quickly. He had to make it sound like it was no big deal.

"What?" Jack raised his brows.

"We need to destroy the damned thing."

"No, Daniel." His voice was low, but very stern. "Too dangerous."

"Women and children. What else do you need to know?" He looked over the rims of his glasses at Jack, trying to appear as sure of himself as he felt inside.

* * *

Jack closed his eyes for a second. Why was the man always playing on his soft spot? He knew it was indeed a good idea to destroy the sarc before the people here were subjected to it. Jack knew as well as Daniel did that it would destroy their society. Not that he liked Angora, or whatever his name was, but that alien was just one person from a whole race of innocent people. He hated to admit it, but Daniel was right. As usual.

"All right." Jack sighed. "Plan B. First we try to destroy their sarcophagus, and then we head for that transposium room to get back home." He looked around. "Now we just have to remember where we are."

Teal'c had been cautiously exploring down the corridor a few yards and now he nodded his head at them. "I believe I found the transposium room, O'Neill."

"What?" Jack walked towards him, checking out their surroundings at the same time. "That easily? No guards?" This had to be some kind of trap. Or maybe they just didn't expect people to escape from that Pit?

Daniel looked at the markings in the door and smiled. "This is the room."

Suddenly they heard noises in the corridor. It sounded like guards approaching. Daniel pushed a button on the door and as it opened, they all crowded in, letting the door slide shut behind them.

There was no one in the large, bright room, but it gave Jack a bad feeling. The familiar device stood on a stone pedestal in the middle of the room. He waved Teal'c over. "You also know how to use it?"

"I believe I do, O'Neill."

"Good." He raised his gun and walked over to the door. "Major, Daniel, you two stay here. Teal'c, come with me." He checked his watch. "If we're not back in an hour, I want you to get the hell out of here and head back to the gate."

"Are you going to destroy the sarcophagus, sir?" Sam asked.

"That's the plan, major."

"But Jack, I wanted to…" Daniel protested.

Jack interrupted him in a friendly voice. "You stay. We'll destroy it, don't worry." He quickly opened the door, and he and Teal'c slipped into the corridor once more.

The people they encountered as they progressed along stared at them, moving out of their way like they were dangerous creatures who needed to be avoided. The women held their children close to them, either carrying them or shielding them with their bodies. But surprisingly, no one tried to stop the two men.

Jack and Teal'c were both amazed that no one interfered with their progress. Jack especially had been sure that there would be some kind of hostility or at least warning shouts. He wondered if it had only been Andara who had wanted him and Daniel dead. The other people he and Teal'c ran into looked like they were just trying to survive.

They made their way quickly through the hallways, and Jack hoped he was leading them in the right direction. The corridors all looked alike to him. Gradually, there were no longer any people where they were walking, like they had come to a part of the ship that was off limits for most people.

"Stop." Teal'c held up his hand and indicated a large door not far from where they were standing. "That may be it, O'Neill."

"I don't know, Teal'c." He just wasn't sure, and couldn't remember a time when he'd ever been so lost.

As Jack pondered the problem, the door opened and Andara walked out together with a couple of his yellow "hippie" guards. Quickly, before they could be spotted, Jack pushed himself and Teal'c behind a small partition in the corridor.

"The enemy, O'Neill?" Teal'c whispered.

"Yup. That's that Angora guy and the ones in yellow are the guards." Jack wanted nothing more than to run out and get them all in the sights of his gun. This was the SOB who had left him and Daniel to die in that black hole called the Pit. But he remembered the ring the guy had used against him and knew he couldn't take them out, at least not yet. He waited until the group was gone before he indicated to Teal'c to follow him. "Let's go."

The room was as bright as the transposium room, and Jack figured that they'd done that on purpose to add more feeling to the so-called "miracles" a sarcophagus could do. Andara was already starting to behave a bit like a system lord, which worried Jack.

Teal'c had raised his staff weapon, ready to destroy the sarcophagus, when the door behind them opened again, and Andara and his guards came strolling in, staring at them in surprise. He raised his hand towards Jack and Teal'c, shouting, "What do you think you are doing?"

"Teal'c, get down! Watch out for his ring!" Jack yelled out as he dropped to his knees, seeking cover behind the sarc. The guards behind Andara did the same, but the alien just stood there like he was invincible. He waved his hand at them threateningly, but before he could do more, Teal'c blasted him with his staff weapon, hitting him point blank in the chest. Andara crashed backwards to the floor with a loud scream that made Jack flinch. The guy had just found out that he wasn't immortal.

The guards looked frightened at the sight of the formidable Teal'c and their fallen leader, and backed away out of the room.

It all seemed too easy. Now they only had to destroy the sarcophagus, and they could go home. A moan from Andara made Jack hesitate though. Damn it, the man looked so helpless, so fragile all of a sudden. Jack just stared at him and saw those frightened eyes, just like other eyes he'd seen way too often in his life as a colonel in the Air Force. He hated the guy, but he would be just as bad, if he let him die just like this.

Daniel was always seeing the best in other people. Jack hoped one day they could meet half way on that subject. He shook his head. What was he talking about? Daniel's influence on him had already taken him well beyond what he thought capable of in the compassion department.

Teal'c was about to fire at the sarcophagus when O'Neill waved a hand to stop him. "Wait, Teal'c."

"What is wrong, O'Neill?"

"This man." Jack swallowed. "If we destroy the sarcophagus, he won't make it."

Andara was groaning loudly now, and Jack kneeled beside him with a grim expression on his face. "You wanna live, don't you?"

There were tears in Andara's eyes as he stared up at him. "Yes. Please help me."

Jack looked up at Teal'c. "I'd be just as bad as him, if I let him die now."

"You sound like Daniel Jackson, O'Neill." Teal'c said gravely.

"Let them keep the sarcophagus to heal their leader, then." O'Neill didn't know why he was doing it. The sarcophagus would make the guy even worse then he already was, but the eyes on the man were so agonized, Jack couldn't bring himself to destroy the device.

"Let's just go home, Teal'c." He nodded his head in disgust. "His guards'll find him."

* * *

"Well?" Daniel was staring at Jack when they dived back into the transposium room, trying to evade the yellow guards. There were more guards around now.

"Teal'c had to shoot Angora," Jack stated.

"We did not destroy the sarcophagus, DanielJackson."

"Why not?" Daniel was upset and didn't try to hide it.

Jack let out a sigh. "We couldn't let him die, Daniel. That would've make us just as bad."

Daniel was surprised, but still mightily pissed off. "So, you just let him live, so he can destroy his entire race?"

"Damn it, Daniel," Jack shouted, making him flinch, "You're usually the compassionate one. What would you have had me do? Let him die?"

"Nothing… I just, I…" Daniel had to look away, avoiding Jack's eyes.

The door suddenly slid open and Daniel, who was staring in that direction, saw a yellow guard dive in, firing at Jack in one fluid motion. "Jack!" He leaped in front his friend and the shot hit Daniel in the right shoulder.

Falling to the floor, Daniel felt a sensation not unlike a thousand matches burning into his shoulder, the heat increasing with each second. There were shouts and returning gunfire, but they sounded oddly muffled and distant. This was what Jack had felt when Andara had shot him before, he inanely thought. God, it hurt. The pain was familiar; and he knew he was hurt bad, perhaps even fatally. He closed his eyes tightly, biting on his lip to try to prevent crying out in agony. Gentle hands touched him, turning him over.

"Daniel." His name was said so quietly, he could hardly hear it. He didn't have to look to know Jack was at his side, but he opened his eyes anyway, just in case he really was going to die this time. Jack's face hovered right above his, denial shining from his eyes. Sam was right behind him, her eyes filled with tears. Daniel gasped in pain as Jack moved over to let her get closer.

Sam placed a hand on Daniel's neck and felt for a pulse. "Not good, sir." We should place him in the sarcophagus." She shook his arm. "Colonel?"

"No," Daniel whimpered and also took Jack's arm. "No. Please. I can't." Tears were rolling down his face onto Jack's hands. "Promise me, Jack."

"Sir?" Sam said it with an urgent voice. "We have to make a decision, or he'll die… Now!"

Vision fading, Daniel pleaded with Jack. "No, Jack, please." His sight was getting hazy, and he couldn't read the older man's expression at all. Every fibre of his being was weakening. Jack couldn't put him in the sarcophagus.

"Please, Jack," he whispered once more as he lost the battle with consciousness.

* * *

Jack exchanged a look with Carter. Daniel was moaning softly, and even though he'd passed out, he still held onto his arm tightly.

For the first time in his life, Jack seriously didn't know what to do. He could save Daniel's life by placing him in the sarcophagus, but he knew Daniel might never recover mentally from a trip down that road. He'd seen the pleading look in Daniel's eyes. He couldn't allow his friend to suffer because of that damn Goa'uld machine ever again.

Jack made a quick decision, the only one he felt he could make. "Okay, kids. We're gonna take Daniel home. Can you get us back to the tunnels near the gate, Teal'c?" He pulled Daniel up into a fireman's carry, slinging Daniel's considerable weight over his shoulder.

"Yes, O'Neill." The Jaffa had already pushed a few buttons on the transposium. "Shield your eyes."

A bright light was followed by a loud humming sound, and they were touched by an electrical charge. Everything went black for a few seconds just like it had when Jack and Daniel had first landed in the Goa'uld vessel. This time the experience was a welcome one.

Jack quickly came to his senses, cursing as he realized that he'd dropped Daniel. The archaeologist was crumpled beside him, pale and barely breathing. Jack wondered if he'd done the right thing. Daniel could still die on them. Feeling frustrated, Jack looked around for Sam. "Carter, get to the DHD and dial us out of here, ASAP!"

Before he could gather up his wounded teammate, Teal'c came alongside and swept Daniel up into his strong arms. He and Jack started to follow Carter out of the tunnels, running as fast as they could manage. Jack was heedless of his injuries and aching knees. Only one thing mattered – getting Daniel to Dr. Fraiser. The gate came into sight, and Sam was already dialling home, and sending SG-1's GDO signal as soon as the wormhole was established.

As the gate opened, Jack looked back. As far as he was concerned, nothing much had been gained from this mission. He was only feeling sorry that he missed the chance of destroying the sarcophagus. That Angora guy had seemed to lust for the power and control of that technology even before he had discovered the sarc. How much worse would it get now?

Jack considered himself lucky that the influences in his life were one hundred and eighty degrees in the opposite direction.

* * *

Standing outside the infirmary, Jack waited impatiently for Dr. Janet Fraiser to come out and tell him Daniel would be fine. They had been through this routine countless times. Daniel was tough, and Jack hoped he would be fine. He *_had*_ to be fine.

Jack was feeling kind of lousy as he pulled up a chair to sit down in the hallway. He was still wondering if he'd made the right decision. If he'd put Daniel in the sarcophagus, his friend might be okay right now. At least he wouldn't be fighting against the pain of a wounded shoulder anyway. He really did understand why Daniel had been so keen on destroying the sarcophagus. Daniel had been addicted to one and knew how it could affect you like a drug. His friend would rather have died than to tempt that again. Jack was glad he'd been able to respect Daniel's wishes.

He'd wanted to protect others against it as well, but it had to be Andara's choice this time. They couldn't run around the universe changing people's beliefs and mindsets. Andara's race had survived the Goa'uld, they would survive their technology as well. He had to believe that. In fact he almost knew for sure that the technology stored in that cellar could have been the Goa'uld's downfall on that planet. And, he admitted, it was likely Daniel would fight to have someone from the SGC go back and intervene, to at least destroy the sarcophagus before Andara became even worse.

Though he didn't always like the archaeologist's tendency to want to fix every wrong, Jack thought he understood it better now. He could live with it, finally coming to peace with the decision he'd made in not destroying the damned thing, because he knew Daniel would have done the same in his shoes.

Doc Fraiser's voice startled him, and he almost fell off the chair. She nodded her head at him. "Why don't you go and get some sleep, colonel?"

"How's Daniel?"

She tried her stern look on him. "He'll be fine, colonel. Now, go get some sleep."

"Can I see him?"

"He's asleep. His shoulder was hit by some kind of electrical weapon. The wound looks like a third degree burn. I cleaned it and gave him a strong sedative." She put her hand on his arm, her face softening with understanding. "But you can go in for a moment."

Jack swallowed as he approached the bed. Daniel's face was very pale, with dark circles under his eyes standing out against the white skin. He looked fragile. Jack just stood there for a moment, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his fatigue pants, not saying anything.

Jack blinked at Daniel in surprise, startled for a moment to see Daniel open his eyes and stare up at him. "Hi, there."

"Thank you, Jack."

He stepped a little closer and smiled. "What're you thanking me for?"

"For not putting me in the sarcophagus," Daniel whispered. He had tears standing in his eyes. He swallowed convulsively, his fingers plucking at the stiff sheets at his sides. "It must have been a… uh, tough choice."

"Yes, it was," Jack simply stated. "But don't you go apologizing for it. I know your reasons, and you were right."

Daniel's eyes slid shut. Jack could see him struggle to open them again, but it was a losing battle. He watched the younger man's hand fumble around on top of the blanket, as though searching for an anchor to cling to. Jack reached for Daniel's hand and clasped it tightly.

"Glad you were there, Jack," Daniel murmured, his head tilting to the side as sleep overwhelmed him again.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather have been," Jack whispered back.

"Hey, Daniel." Jack sounded excited as he stared around the corner of the open door into the infirmary. "Doc Fraiser giving you a hard time?"

The petite doctor passed Jack on her way out and gave him a very stern look. "Be careful what you say, colonel." She grinned at him and bumped into him with one shoulder on purpose, to add to her so-called threat.

Daniel gave him a little smile. "You better watch out, Jack. She can be dangerous."

"Oh, yeah." He walked in, holding his hands behind his back. Daniel frowned, wondering what Jack had brought in. Another chocolate bar or bag of cookies, and he'd jump out of bed screaming. They meant well of course, but there'd been too many Daniel-likes-chocolate-and-cookies kind of visits lately.

But Janet had just told him he could leave in the morning, finally. It was a good day, unlike the several days before. His shoulder didn't hurt as much anymore.

With a broad grin and a nod of his head, Jack gestured to Daniel to look at the calendar next to the bed. It was Monday the 16th. Daniel he was glad there was a calendar there, or he would have lost track of time. Days in the infirmary all looked the same.

"You know what, Daniel?" Jack smiled. "When that bad day started on P3T-890, you know what day it was?"

"Friday, of course," he responded without thinking. Why had Jack asked him that? "It was the 13th." Then it suddenly hit him. "Friday, the 13th."

Jack interrupted, "A bad day, indeed. " Then he raised one hand. "But there should be a good ending to all this, don't you think?"

Before Daniel could reply, there was a loud meow from behind Jack's back. Daniel grinned at his friend. A cat? Jack had a cat behind his back?

With a triumphant expression, Jack raised his other hand and placed a little black kitten on Daniel's bed.

Daniel was surprised, to say the least. He smiled as the kitten ran up his chest and lay down right under his chin.

"Jack, what is this? A cat?" Daniel asked stupidly. He rubbed his cheek on the soft fur, his hands cradling the tiny body so it wouldn't fall.

Jack's face lit up with a mischievous grin. "I thought that a black cat would be appropriate as a gift." He coughed. "Friday the 13th and all. The cat's name is Daffy."

Daniel laughed in delight. He looked down at the kitten and then at Jack's face, and they were both priceless. "Uh, Jeez, Jack, thanks a lot, but I can't take care of a cat. I'm on base or off world most of the time."

"Consider it the new SGC cat then," Jack said with no hesitation. "Our mascot. Hammond said it was okay, as long as we make sure we have a committee to take care of it." Apparently his friend had thought of everything.

Daniel stroked Daffy on his ear and the kitten began to purr in excitement, working his small claws into Daniel's hospital gown. He really wished he *could* take little Daffy home, though he'd give him a new name. He hesitantly smiled. "I can live with that."

Jack chuckled and tickled the kitten with one finger. "'Course, I always thought I was more of a dog person, really."

"You are, Jack."

"Oh, right." He laughed as he watched Daniel pat their new pet. "You're right."

The End.


End file.
